The 65-year-old said in a statement: I’ve had a brilliant time at BBC Essex and broken some very important stories. I will miss the listeners who’ve rung me every morning but it’s time to do something different.”

Louise Birt, the managing editor of BBC Essex said: “I’d like to thank James for the shows he has done and we all wish him success in whatever he does next.”

Retweeting the posts from BBC Essex, James also responded to fans who wished him luck and asked about his future plans as one wrote: “Good luck with whatever the future brings #itsonlyrockandroll.”

He replied, “But I like it.”

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